Attitude and Attitude Formation

Compiled and Organized by: OLAYEMI.

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Attitudes consist of cognitive, action, and affective components, which are formed through the organization of concepts, beliefs, habits, and motives associated with an object.

Attitudes are learned through principles of association, transfer, and need satisfaction. They can be influenced by social agents, such as parents and teachers, and by adopting the attitudes of important people outside the family circle.

Attitudes can be categorized based on different motivational bases, such as utilitarian, value-expressive, ego-defensive, and knowledge.

The measurement of attitudes can be done using methods like Thurstone Attitude Scale, Likert Scale, opinions surveys, and interviews.

Attitude change can occur through cognitive dissonance, where individuals experience tension between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. They can reduce this dissonance by changing their behavior or cognition, justifying their behavior, adding new cognitions, or ignoring conflicting information.

Attitudes can also be influenced by external forces of persuasion, such as advertising, through the source, message, and audience. Different routes to persuasion include the central route, which uses facts and information, and the peripheral route, which uses positive association with cues like beauty and positive emotions.

Questions and Answers.

1. What are the components of an attitude?

a) Concepts, beliefs, and motives

b) Concepts, beliefs, habits, and actions

c) Concepts, habits, and motives

d) Beliefs, habits, and actions

Correct answer: b) Concepts, beliefs, habits, and actions

2. Which component of an attitude refers to the thoughts and beliefs associated with it?

a) Cognitive component

b) Action component

c) Affective component

d) Motivational component

Correct answer: a) Cognitive component

3. What is the action component of an attitude?

a) Verbal expression of opinion

b) Action tendencies associated with the attitude

c) Habits and behaviors related to the attitude

d) Motives and emotions associated with the attitude

Correct answer: c) Habits and behaviors related to the attitude

4. Which component of an attitude includes motives and emotions?

a) Cognitive component

b) Action component

c) Affective component

d) Motivational component

Correct answer: c) Affective component

5. What are the dimensions of the affective component of an attitude?

a) Position and intensity

b) Position and frequency

c) Intensity and frequency

d) Expectancy and intensity

Correct answer: a) Position and intensity

6. How are attitudes formed?

a) Through association and need satisfaction

b) Through instruction and imitation

c) Through cognitive dissonance reduction

d) Through persuasive advertising

Correct answer: a) Through association and need satisfaction

7. What are the three interrelated principles that explain how attitudes are learned?

a) Association, transfer, and reinforcement

b) Need satisfaction, imitation, and conditioning

c) Association, transfer, and need satisfaction

d) Reinforcement, instruction, and cognitive dissonance

Correct answer: c) Association, transfer, and need satisfaction

8. What is the role of social agents in attitude formation?

a) They transfer attitudes through instruction

b) They reinforce attitudes through rewards and punishments

c) They shape attitudes through association and need satisfaction

d) They induce cognitive dissonance to change attitudes

Correct answer: c) They shape attitudes through association and need satisfaction

9. Which motivational basis for attitudes suggests that they are associated with survival, safety, and social motives?

a) Utilitarian

b) Value-expressive

c) Ego-defensive

d) Knowledge

Correct answer: a) Utilitarian

10. What is the motive behind value-expressive attitudes?

a) Self-esteem and self-actualization

b) Fear and avoidance

c) Projection of hostility and inferiority

d) Competence and consistent view of the world

Correct answer: a) Self-esteem and self-actualization

11. Which type of attitudes are formed as defense mechanisms to protect the ego?

a) Utilitarian attitudes

b) Value-expressive attitudes

c) Ego-defensive attitudes

d) Knowledge-based attitudes

Correct answer: c) Ego-defensive attitudes

12. What is one way attitudes can be formed related to competence motives?

a) By actively seeking more information

b) By adopting attitudes of others

c) By maintaining consistent thinking

d) By avoiding cognitive dissonance

Correct answer: b) By adopting attitudes of others

13. What is the centrality of an attitude determined by?

a) Strength of motives and presence of the object

b) Strength of motives and degree of differentiation

c) Degree of differentiation and presence of the object

d) Degree of differentiation and strength of beliefs

Correct answer: a) Strength of motives and presence of the object

14. How is an attitude formed?

a) Through external forces of persuasion

b) Through association and need satisfaction

c) Through internal influences that we control

d) Through cognitive dissonance

Answer: b) Through association and need satisfaction

15. What are the three interrelated principles that explain how attitudes are learned?

a) Association, transfer, and need satisfaction

b) Central route, peripheral route, and cognitive dissonance

c) Cognitive component, action component, and affective component

d) Utilitarian, value-expressive, ego-defensive, and knowledge

Answer: a) Association, transfer, and need satisfaction

16. How do social agents like parents and teachers transfer attitudes?

a) By suggesting how to reorganize and integrate basic ideas

b) By using external forces of persuasion

c) By inducing cognitive dissonance

d) By providing information through advertising

Answer: a) By suggesting how to reorganize and integrate basic ideas

17. What is the affective component of an attitude considered to be?

a) The core of the attitude

b) The cognitive component of the attitude

c) The action component of the attitude

d) The formation of attitude through association and need satisfaction

Answer: a) The core of the attitude

18. According to Katz, what are the four different motivational bases for attitudes?

a) Association, transfer, need satisfaction, and cognitive dissonance

b) Utilitarian, value-expressive, ego-defensive, and knowledge

c) Central route, peripheral route, cognitive dissonance, and cognitive component

d) Cognitive component, action component, affective component, and knowledge

Answer: b) Utilitarian, value-expressive, ego-defensive, and knowledge

19. Which type of attitude is associated with survival, safety, and social motives?

a) Utilitarian

b) Value-expressive

c) Ego-defensive

d) Knowledge

Answer: a) Utilitarian

20. What is the basis of ego-defensive attitudes?

a) Survival and safety motives

b) Self-esteem and self-actualization motives

c) Negative defense mechanisms

d) Competence motives

Answer: c) Negative defense mechanisms

21. How are attitudes with a knowledge basis acquired?

a) By seeking more information actively

b) By adopting attitudes of other people

c) By having a consistent view of the world

d) All of the above

Answer: d) All of the above

22. What is the centrality of an attitude based on?

a) The strength of the motives associated with the object

b) The persistent presence of the object in the individual's environment

c) Both a) and b)

d) None of the above

Answer: c) Both a) and b)

23. What is a cluster of attitudes that share common concepts, beliefs, motives, and habits called?

a) Attitude formation

b) Attitude system

c) Attitude change

d) Attitude measurement

Answer: b) Attitude system

24. What are some methods used for measuring attitudes?

a) Thurston Attitude Scale, Likert Scale, opinions survey, and interviews

b) Central route, peripheral route, cognitive dissonance, and cognitive component

c) Association, transfer, need satisfaction, and cognitive dissonance

d) Cognitive component, action component, affective component, and knowledge

Answer: a) Thurston Attitude Scale, Likert Scale, opinions survey, and interviews

25. What is the purpose of the Thurston Attitude Scale?

a) To develop an attitude scale through questionnaires

b) To compare the results obtained from another measuring device

c) To analyze factors underlying an attitude by measuring responses to a series of statements

26. What is the Likert Scale used for?

a) To assess the intensity of attitudes

b) To measure the frequency of attitude-related behaviors

c) To evaluate the cognitive component of attitudes

d) To identify the underlying motives for attitudes

Answer: a) To assess the intensity of attitudes

27. What is the purpose of an opinion survey?

a) To measure the affective component of attitudes

b) To determine the centrality of an attitude

c) To gather information about people's opinions on a specific topic

d) To induce cognitive dissonance and attitude change

Answer: c) To gather information about people's opinions on a specific topic

28. Which method of measuring attitudes involves direct interaction and questioning?

a) Thurston Attitude Scale

b) Likert Scale

c) Opinion survey

d) Interviews

Answer: d) Interviews

29. What are the two routes to persuasion identified by the elaboration likelihood model (ELM)?

a) Central route and peripheral route

b) Attitude formation and attitude change

c) Cognitive component and affective component

d) Utilitarian and ego-defensive

Answer: a) Central route and peripheral route

30. Which route to persuasion relies on careful consideration of the arguments presented?

a) Central route

b) Peripheral route

c) Cognitive component

d) Affective component

Answer: a) Central route

31. What is the peripheral route to persuasion based on?

a) Emotional appeals and superficial cues

b) Rational arguments and logical reasoning

c) The cognitive component of attitudes

d) The affective component of attitudes

Answer: a) Emotional appeals and superficial cues

32. What is cognitive dissonance?

a) The conflict that arises when attitudes and behaviors are inconsistent

b) The formation of attitudes through association and need satisfaction

c) The process of transferring attitudes through social agents

d) The motivation underlying utilitarian attitudes

Answer: a) The conflict that arises when attitudes and behaviors are inconsistent

33. What are some ways to reduce cognitive dissonance?

a) Changing attitudes to match behaviors

b) Changing behaviors to match attitudes

c) Finding justifications for the inconsistency

d) All of the above

Answer: d) All of the above

34. According to Festinger's cognitive dissonance theory, which of the following factors influence the level of dissonance experienced?

a) The importance of the decision

b) The degree of free choice involved

c) The amount of negative consequences

d) All of the above

Answer: d) All of the above

35. What is the self-perception theory proposed by Bem?

a) People infer their attitudes by observing their own behavior

b) People are motivated to maintain consistency between attitudes and behaviors

c) People are influenced by the attitudes of others

d) People are motivated to reduce cognitive dissonance

Answer: a) People infer their attitudes by observing their own behavior

36. According to the self-perception theory, when do individuals experience cognitive dissonance?

a) When their attitudes and behaviors are inconsistent

b) When they observe their behavior and infer their attitudes

c) When they experience negative consequences of their behavior

d) When they are influenced by persuasive messages

Answer: b) When they observe their behavior and infer their attitudes

37. What is the foot-in-the-door technique?

a) A persuasive technique that involves making a large request followed by a smaller one

b) A persuasive technique that involves providing strong arguments and evidence

c) A persuasive technique that appeals to emotions and superficial cues

d) A persuasive technique that involves inducing cognitive dissonance

38. What is the door-in-the-face technique?

a) A persuasive technique that involves making a large request followed by a smaller one

b) A persuasive technique that involves providing strong arguments and evidence

c) A persuasive technique that appeals to emotions and superficial cues

d) A persuasive technique that involves inducing cognitive dissonance

Answer: a) A persuasive technique that involves making a large request followed by a smaller one

39. What is the low-ball technique?

a) A persuasive technique that involves making a large request followed by a smaller one

b) A persuasive technique that involves providing strong arguments and evidence

c) A persuasive technique that appeals to emotions and superficial cues

d) A persuasive technique that involves initially underestimating the cost of a product or service and then raising it

Answer: d) A persuasive technique that involves initially underestimating the cost of a product or service and then raising it

40. What is the mere exposure effect?

a) The tendency to prefer familiar stimuli over unfamiliar stimuli

b) The tendency to rely on cognitive shortcuts in decision making

c) The tendency to conform to the opinions of others

d) The tendency to experience cognitive dissonance

Answer: a) The tendency to prefer familiar stimuli over unfamiliar stimuli

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